| Unfortunately, this time it's not just Mike Ferguson selling out our interests. It's Frank Pallone as well.
There was a big vote on internet freedom (or 'net neutrality') that took place in the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday. And Frank Pallone sold out the internet, big time.
Here's the deal.
Right now your broadband ISP isn't really allowed to block legal web sites or services to their customers. A bill that passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee lets them. It's a little more complicated than that, but that's the gist. Pretty soon your broadband provider will be allowed to block Google, Vonage, or your favorite blog if a competitor pays them, if they develop a competing service, or if they just don't like you. This sort of undermines the whole internet thing..
The vote took place in two stages. One was the Markey amendment, which was the amendment to a larger telecom package. This was voted down. Then the whole package without that amendment went through the Committee. Frank Pallone is a member of this Committee, and while he voted for the Markey amendment to protect internet freedom, when that amendment was defeated, he voted for the whole bill anyway. In other words, he pandered on internet freedom, and then voted against it in the end. Oh yeah, and he received $28,500 from telecom and cable interests in the 2006 cycle.
Sellout.
More info is at Savetheinternet.com. |
